Thank You
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: Written for the Word Count Game Challenge on HPFC. Severus visits Harry on Christmas Eve with hot chocolate and wise words.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognize. **

**A/N - Written for the Word Count Game Challenge week 1. Prompts used, Impossible, Fairy-tales, Crucio, Snowflakes. **

The fire was roaring, the common room cozily warm. Harry sat in a comfy armchair, watching the flames flicker lazily. He was alone, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Gryffindor's having gone home for the holidays.

Not that he wouldn't have been alone if they had been here, neither of his supposed best friends would give him the time of day any more.

Harry scoffed to himself quietly.

When he had signed up to return to Hogwarts for his last year, he had imagined it being fun, stress free, with the most important thing he had to think about being his NEWTs.

Instead, all he had faced was arguments, fights, and a great deal of disdain from the two people he thought he would be friends with for the rest of his life.

Ron and Hermione, it turned out, liked the fame that helping him finish off Voldemort brought them, and thought they could ride on it to get them decent jobs when the left school without putting any work in.

He admitted to himself that he could half expect Ron would take that route, but Hermione? That had shocked the hell out of him. For as long as he had known her, she had been the most bookish person he had ever met. Now though, now she spent all her time hanging off Ron like a sixth year Lavender Brown.

He wondered to himself how his life had ended up here, when he had always had the idea, and it seemed rather naive now, that once Voldemort had been dealt with, he would have a great life, with his best friends and extended adopted family by his side. At least, that was how things ended in the fairy-tales.

Tomorrow would be Christmas day, and for the first time since he started Hogwarts, he wasnt looking forward to it. Of course, the hall would look as magnificent as it always did, and hopefully it would snow. Harry had always loved snow, had loved trying to catch the snowflakes in his hand before they melted. Really though, how much fun would he have alone?

A noise broke his musing and he looked up to see the common room painting opening for a very unexpected guest, carrying an even more unexpected tray.

Severus Snape stood in front of him, apparently waiting to be invited to join him. Harry waved to the chair facing him, and Snape took a seat, placing the tray he carried onto the closest table.

"Would you like some?" he asked quietly, gesturing to the tray. It was filled with all the ingredients for a hot chocolate, along with marshmallows, whipped cream, and a few biscuits.

"Please," Harry answered just as quietly, still waiting for the reason behind this visit. The relationship between them had changed since the end of the war, they were civil to each other, even acknowledging each other in the hallways when they passed.

Snape handed him a mug, and sat back in his armchair holding his own. He was silent for a time before he began to speak, still quietly, the wound on his neck left by Nagini had not yet fully healed.

"Every Christmas Eve i would join Albus by the fire in his office and drink hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream. I wanted to carry the tradition on for him, and thought that maybe you would understand."

Harry smiled despite himself. He could imagine the two of them up there, Dumbledore irritating Snape with some inconsequential story or something, maybe arguing between themselves as they whiled the hours away to Christmas day.

"Of course Professor. I...I miss him, more now than ever," Harry replied softly.

"Your friends are still being idiots?" Snape asked, sounding more like himself.

"Hmm, yes, and I'm not really sure what to do anymore. I still have friends, Neville has been very good to me this year, as has Luna. I just, I guess I always thought we would be friends. Maybe I cant give them what they need anymore," Harry said, more to himself than the Professor.

Snape surveyed him for a moment before answering.

"Perhaps they have been overwhelmed by the fame they find themselves enjoying at the moment, or perhaps they have done the impossible and actually lost the brain cells they once had, but you cannot blame yourself for their actions. They will come around at some point, whether it will be in time for you to forgive them or not is a different story."

Harry thought about that for a while before replying.

"You're right, you know."

"I often am."

"Modest too. I'm done waiting for them, there's no reason why i should. There was a time I would jump in front of a Crucio for them, and they me, but now? Why should I? Thank you Professor. I'm glad you came up here tonight," Harry smiled at Snape, the first proper smile he had done in weeks.

"You're welcome Harry. I've saved you plenty of times before, what's one more?" Harry looked up to see Snape smiling at him. He chuckled.

"Right you are Professor. I don't think I ever really thanked you properly for saving my life so many times. So, thank you."

"Thank me by living your life the way _you_ want Harry. For me, and I'm sure for your mother, that's thanks enough."


End file.
